A Celebration of Fright Flicks Old and New, Mainstream and Obscure (with the occasional civilian film tossed in as well)

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

ALL THE COLORS OF GIALLO (2018) Blu-ray review

All the Colors of Giallo (2018) d. Federico Caddeo (USA) (89 min)

Direct from Severin Films comes this loving examination of the evolution of Giallo, Italian for ‘yellow,’ the color of the lurid pulp novels that inspired one of the most intense, extreme and influential genres in cinema. Brimming with exclusive interviews with directors Mario Bava, Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Sergio Martino, Antonio Margheriti, and Umberto Lenzi, screenwriters Ernesto Gastaldi, Dardano Sarchetti, and Luciano Ercoli, and actors George Hilton, Daria Nicolodi, Barbara Bouchet, Edwige Fenech, and Nieves Navarro (aka Susan Scott), alongside all-new featurettes that take us even deeper into the genre’s origins, including that of the German “krimi,” the suspense films that predated and inspired their Italian successors.

Afterwards, sit back and feast your face on more than 100 rare and classic movie trailers beginning with Bava’s 1963 entry, The Girl Who Knew Too Much (aka The Evil Eye), which ostensibly jumpstarted the genre, on down through the decades with memorable efforts such as Torso, Don't Torture a Duckling, Strip Nude for Your Killer, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, with commentary by film scholar, author, and cult cinema enthusiast Kat Ellinger. (Yes, FOUR HOURS of movie trailer chat and it’s solid gold thanks to Ellinger’s witty and passionate discourse.)

Finally, slip on your black leather gloves, pour yourself a large glass of J&B, and get in a killer mood with a bonus CD of legendary soundtrack music from composers that include Ennio Morricone, Riz Ortolani, Bruno Nicolai, Stelvio Cipriani and others.

While a little clunky (specifically in its unimaginative approach of simply giving extensive amounts of “talking head time” to film historian Fabio Melelli to provide structure) and predisposed to present tangents as cogent talking points, this is a solid introduction for newcomers and an enjoyable refresher course for veterans.

About Me

Well, during the day I move among you as mild-mannered Aaron Christensen, Chicago actor. But at night, when the popcorn pops full, I transform into my alternate personality Dr. AC, hopeless horror movie nerd-cum-Ambassador of Horror.
However, despite my inclination to discuss monsters that pervade, aliens that invade, creatures of the night, vampires that bite...I'm actually the nicest guy you'll ever meet.